Negacy hails from Sardinia, but these Italians have moved to misty London. First they released an album under the moniker Red Warlock, but after an US tour they changed their name in April 2012: Negacy was born and that stands for a firm portion US metal with dark, modern flavour, rough as well as noble. It means that the material on ‘Flames Of Black Fire’ does not have the catchiness of power metal, but comes out rather technical, with sometimes any thrash-like approaches and progressive breaks.

After the intro we have our first encounter with the vocal capacities of Marco Piu in the stamping ‘The Great Plague’, a front man who is active in Memento Waltz as well. He has a rough voice, but in more powerful passages he nevertheless sounds pure and clear and a bit with echo. Quite sturdy. We can enjoy loads of fervent guitar solos of Giribaldi and Corozza, men who know the ropes with obvious skilfulness. The production sounds heavy and chunky, just listen to ‘Need No Guidance’. One time the band even reminds me a bit of Iron Maiden, more particularly in the slightly oriental sounding title track. Dynamic solos and a prominent bass line feature the up-tempo ‘Eradicate’. Towards the end the songs get longer and one can notice some epic flavours. ‘Parasite’ and occluding song ‘Epitaph’ are seven minutes long, but especially in the latter track that gets out of hand a bit (in despite of a great beginning). We prefer the sensitive moment of the fetching single ‘Nothing Changes’ or the frivolous arpeggios in the thrash alike ‘Eye Of The Thunderstorm’. This is a meritorious album on which the musicians can show their skills. Not always fetching, yet heavy and stalwart.